Spotlight on Natural Dyeing

No experience is needed — this course is designed for complete beginners and breaks the natural dye process down into simple, straightforward steps. Siân explains key terminology such as weight of fibre (WOF), scouring and mordanting from scratch, with exact percentages and timings demonstrated on camera. If you already dye, you'll still gain valuable insight into two-stage cellulose mordanting, shibori resist methods and bundle dyeing.

You only need a small amount of kit: a well-ventilated space, a heat source, non-reactive stainless steel pots, bowls and spoons, sensitive scales, a sieve, string, pegs and elastic bands, plus gloves, an apron and a notebook. Siân dedicates a full lesson to setting up a safe, packable 'dye kitchen' and explains which materials to avoid, such as copper, aluminium and rusty enamel. She also shows how you can begin experimenting straight away using kitchen-cupboard staples like black tea or rooibos.

The course covers both protein fibres (silk and wool) and cellulose fibres (cotton, linen, hemp, ramie and bamboo), explaining why each needs a different preparation. You'll see a gentle scour and single alum mordant for silk, plus a full two-stage tannin (gallnut) and alum with soda ash mordant for cotton and linen that delivers excellent colour and lightfastness. Siân also shares how to batch-prepare and label fabric so you always have a store ready to dye.

Siân brings over a decade of natural dye experience and a geology background, connecting the chemistry of minerals and mordants with colour, history and the natural world. The course is rooted in sustainability and slow craft — upcycling hotel napkins and old linens, choosing low-impact plant dyes, and celebrating the sensory, mindful side of working with your hands in the dye pot. You'll finish with three sets of genuinely usable, one-of-a-kind botanically dyed textiles and the confidence to experiment with plants growing outside your own window.

All of our courses are online, meaning that you are able to watch them whenever and wherever suits you best. There is no beginning or finish date and they’re completely self-paced so that you can stop, start and pause each lesson to fit around your own schedule. You can begin watching a course as soon as you purchase it – simply login to your Create Academy account whenever you have a quiet moment to yourself.

Yes! You can rewatch each lesson as many times as you’d like. If you have purchased an individual course, you will have lifetime access to it, so you’ll be able to rewatch and dip in and out of each lesson forever - perfect if you have a busy schedule! If you purchased an annual subscription, you can enjoy full access to all of our lessons until you choose to cancel.

If you have purchased an individual course, you will have life time access.

An annual subscription gives you access to all courses for 12 months from the date of purchase, including those released during that period. Our subscriptions are set to automatically renew after 12 months so you have the benefit of uninterrupted access! If you choose to cancel, you will no longer have access to the platform.

Below each video lesson you’ll find the link to download the corresponding workbook pages. If you’d like to download the whole workbook at once, simply navigate to the very first lesson in the course and click 'Download Workbook'.

We’re on a mission to help you build your creative confidence and live a more creatively fulfilled life. Through beautifully curated video courses, we give you unprecedented access to the expertise of today’s best designers, makers, gardeners and chefs - allowing you to unlock your creativity whenever and wherever you want.

Yes – all our courses are available internationally. Please note, all our courses are taught in English.